Ippodo's Uji shincha.I tried this one last year too. I wish I had a good enough memory or took notes so I could compare the two harvests.I remember loving last year's and I am loving this one too.Brewing it strong, it is still delicate and delicious. Good bitterness and only slightly astringent. Drinking the 4th steep as I type. Still plenty of flavor.

Finished off the last of my Asanoka from the recent NOTTI, which means that it is time for some Shincha! The first 2013 Shincha for me is Aoi from O-Cha. I have O-Cha's Kirameki and Maiko's Kinari in the cabinet, but since both are in the Shincha OTTI, I have opted to wait on those. I figure it's better to open my 100g bags after I've already dialed in my brewing parameters. Back to the Aoi! It took me a couple days to get this one right, but I finally figured out my preferred brewing.

I found I liked this one brewed at a bit higher temp, with a little over 1g:1oz. I start with ~170* for 1 min175* for ~15-20 sec180-185* for 1 minThen raise the water a little more and shoot for 2 min, although I often find myself accidentally going longer (luckily, without it getting very bitter).

The leaves are a nice, dark green and have a nice vegetal aroma. This is definitely a tea on the lighter flavor side of things (in a good way), and the brewed tea gives off a subtle seaweed smell. The taste is light (haven't quite picked out all the subtle nuances yet), but finishes with a distinct floral after taste. Overall, I'm really enjoying this tea, and I look forward to getting to know this tea better!

Also, I'd love for any other member's brewing advice who have more experience with this tea! I've tried a higher ratio (2:1), but found it a bit strong for my taste (normally, I prefer my sencha at a 1:1, so it isn't surprising that I landed on a 1:1 here). If I come up with better parameters, I'll be sure to post

Running for Tea, good idea to open sinchas not in the upcoming OTTI since these young leaves do seem to oxidize if left open for a long time. Sorry, I have not tried O-Cha's Aoi so can't add to your comments.

I went ahead and opened a third sincha, Maiko’s 2013 Sincha Sencha Kinari and it is really rich yet light at the same time. A winner for sure, especially given the ‘thank you price’ for preordering. Its light body and clear liquor is similar in character to its sister, Maiko’s 2013 Sincha Sencha. I haven’t done a side by side comparison yet but both are light bodied asamushi senchas with unique rich full flavors. The Kinari is very tasty with lots of umami, refined smooth warm sweet flavors with a nutty hint of the sea. The liquor is clear yellow green. The aroma of dry & steeped leaf is very mild, but the flavor of the liquor deep and lingering. Really smooth, with a unique character profile.